Travelling with a baby - bus or taxi?

Hi
We're planning our trip to Cambodia in August. Our daughter will be turning one on the day we fly (nothing like a long haul flight to celebrate a birthday!).
Having travelled in the area before (Laos, Vietnam) we are reasonably confident about the resources that we'll find in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and beyond. We're planning the following itinerary:
- Siem Reap (3 full days)
- Fly to Sihanoukville (1 full day)
- Kampot (1 full day)
- Kep (2 full days)
- Phnom Penh (3 full days)
So we're going to be flying from Bangkok to Siem Reap and then flying once more from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville to cut down on travelling time with the baby. If we didn't fly to Sihanoukville we would likely be taking a bus/taxi to Battambang and then going on to Phnom Penh from there.
Can anyone help me with the following questions:
* The main one is that we will have to travel overland from Sihanoukville to Kampot, then to Kep and then a long journey to Phnom Penh. We are debating whether it is safer/more comfortable to take a bus or taxi. Which would be best with a baby? The bus would possibly be safer, given that it would have to move slow-ish and we'd also potentially have room for the baby to crawl around a little. Alternatively a taxi might have seatbelts (if we're very lucky!) so we could bring her car seat. We'd be able to ask the driver to drive slowly and also stop off if we need to. Any recommendations from travellers who've experienced the road conditions?
* Two of our hotels have said they won't be able to give us a travel cot. As our daughter's never co slept I can't imagine for a minute that she'll be able to sleep in our bed (and don't particularly want to share!) and she would definitely fall out of a single bed or crawl off a mattress. I've seen koo di cots suggested as a travel cot which would be light to carry but I'm concerned that she might be able to crawl around in it. Does anyone have any experience using the koo di cot in a baby from 12 - 18 months that is mobile (crawling/crusing, possibly walking by August). Would you recommend that we just lug our normal travel cot around?
* Is Battambang really really worth it? We've lost it from the itinerary as it could potentially mean about 6 hours more overland travelling. But we're a little disappointed as it sounds great.

Hope someone can help! Thanks, Nikkie

Can't give advise on travelling with a baby in that area, but generaly traveling with a baby you have to many short time stopps, I would take out any 1 - 2 day stopps and stay longer in one place.

Fly Siem Reap to Sihanoukville and stay there longer or don't go at all and spend your time between Siem Reap, Battambang and PP.

A little one will slow you down a lot, they need nap time, eating time, play time, new diapers, at home that's easy not so much on the road, don't think you can just pack her up and go, she can make your live a living hell if you don't consider her needs.

I would take a taxi, a bus driver can be just as bad as a taxi driver, but you can't tell a bus driver to slow down, or get out in case he's been drinking or taking other things, with a taxi you can stop if dd starts crying and carry her around, in a bus you're stuck, nice to have a screaming baby around for 4 hours or maybe more.

Your daughter can sleep anywhere even in your bed, she's not the one having a problem with that, little ones will sleep when they are tired, even if they are strapped to your back or front, my daughter always had her own bed at home, during travels we co slept without any problems, at home she went back to her own bed.

Hi templeton, thanks for your reply and advice. We've travelled before with the baby (trips to Madeira and Malaysia) so we're reasonably confident about how she reacts when we're away.
I agree with you about the taxi driver and being in control.
Have you been to Cambodia? Did you travel by bus or taxi while you were there?
Co sleeping probably won't work for us so still interested in opinions about the cots.
Thanks

I never needed one, so can't advise.

No, my trip to Cambodia will be in October, that's why I said I only give general advise about travelling with little ones.

She will be a year old, that is a different story than taking a few month old baby, she's about starting to have her own mind, my daughter walked by that age and she was fast, one second was enough and she was gone, but I found out that in babys there is a difference, does your daughter crawl? If yes, she will start to walk later, mine never did crawl took her 3-4 weeks and she was from laying around in running mode.

One nice story, I came back with her from Croatia, still in diapers but kind of potty trained, her choice, we went to the bathroom and after we got out she wanted to go back in, -,50 € per visit, so I told her she just went, turned around and not only diapers but her whole cloth were dirty cause she had the runnings.

It's all those little things you have to take into account, I say 3-9 month no problem, after that you have a person you have to take into consideration.

Just be certain that necessary precautions are taken against mosquito borne diseases, especially dengue, which should be on the rise during that month. Mosquito nets are a must. I have raised two children in Cambodia, in fact am still doing so(they are 10 & ll) and they have both have dengue in spite of our precautions. It's really scary.

hard to say about Battambang but given the time probably give it a miss. I wonder if you might enjoy kampot/Kep more than Sianoukville.

From Sianoukville to Kampot take private taxi and agree with the driver that you do not want to rush - you can check out likely price simply by asking the current price for two seats in shared taxi and then multiplying by 3

Kampot to Kep bus is an easy journey so go for that if you want to save money

Kep to PP down to your personal choice here

After seeing how many they get in those shared taxis, I'd do anything in my power to avoid having to use one. And as for the way they drive, you'd be praying all the way for a safe passage. We've done PP to Kampot by bus and really, it was perfectly fine. But not the place to let a small one "crawl around a little".

I meant private hire - ie hire the whole taxi not share. The easiest taxis to find are the share taxis and what I meant by multiplying by three would be the cost for having it to themselves.

No way would I suggest they share a share taxi

Never mind. Just figured out the maths with the number of persons they usually carry. 6 would be close enough.

yes that is why I said ask the cost of 2 seats and multiply by 3.

I've traveled with Khmer families in Share taxis the kids are great no complaining. However I would simply just hire out a whole taxi and ask them to drive carefully.

1 Do not inflict your child on other pax. It's antisocial and not fair on anyone. You might love them, but nothing would piss me off more than 6 hours with someone else's little screaming darling.
2 Share taxi is ridiculous concept. Unsafe. cramped and a rip off.
3 Private taxi hire is cheap, reliable and honest. you will have ample room, flexibility and control over what is going on and where to stop. I hired one from PNH to REP for USD70 yesterday from V-Silk travel but there are a hundred of these companies along Sisowath and the equivalent in other places.

1 Do not inflict your child on other pax. It's antisocial and not fair on anyone. You might love them, but nothing would piss me off more than 6 hours with someone else's little screaming darling.

Not all children spend their time screaming and I have had some very enjoyable train and bus trips with others small kids for company in SEA and helped pass the time on a long journey

I cerainly agree with you about the share taxis (even with out a small baby)which why I recommended private hire

Thank you for your advice, I appreciate that it is well meant and particularly point number 3 is helpful.
However.....
> 1 Do not inflict your child on other pax. It's antisocial and not fair on anyone. You might love them, but nothing would piss me off more than 6 hours with someone else's little screaming darling.

Please do not assume that all babies are antisocial, that they spend all their time screaming. For one thing it takes a huge amount of energy to scream and I doubt any child could consistently spend 6 hours bellowing. I appreciate that you may have been on some long journeys with some very stressed and upset children and for that I am truly sorry for you.

In seeking advice on whether to travel by bus or taxi I was not looking for advice on how to parent my child or how to be a good passenger on said bus or taxi. If my child was inclined to scream then perhaps I would reconsider the bus. As it happens, not that you were to know this, my baby happens to be incredibly mellow and a wonderful traveller. She rarely cries even at home and when on a fourteen hour long haul flight she did not cry once - other passengers and air hostesses commented on her behaviour with high praise. On bus journeys in Madeira and Malaysia my daughter has gently fallen asleep while rocked by the rhythm of the transport or played quietly with a toy while sitting on our laps. But you weren't to know that.

My point is that in asking advice on how to travel safely in Cambodia I was not asking advice on how to travel with a baby. Your comment, while well meant I am sure, indicates a very sweeping and incorrect judgement about the behaviour of all babies. All babies are not alike and therefore having a baby does not exempt me from considering public transport or a shared taxi.

That said, you're quite right about taking a private taxi and thanks to all others who posted advice about the best ways to make our way safely to our destination.

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Do have a great trip and your post (#13) is far milder than i would have been in the situation

Have a great trip, do take good care of the little miss, I'm sure she'll be a great traveller now and in the future.

Hope you know that you'll infect her with a terrible bug and there is no medication or cure for it, the travel bug ;).

OP, if you can, buy a small plane (or other airline gift) from the on board shop and then on her 21st, present it to her with a photo file from the flight.